ESPN College Football

2011 record: 5-7
2011 conference record: 2-6
Returning starters:: offense: 6; defense: 5, kicker/punter: 1

Top returners:
C Matt Smith, OG Larry Warford, WR La’Rod King, QB Maxwell Smith, RB CoShik Williams, DE Collins Ukwu, DT Donte Rumph, DT Mister Cobble, S Martavius Neloms, S Mikie Benton

Key losses:
OT Chandler Burden, OG Stuart Hines, OT Billy Joe Murphy, WR Matt Roark, LB Ronnie Sneed, LB Danny Trevathan, LB Ridge Wilson, CB Anthony Mosley, S Winston Guy, CB Randall Burden

2011 statistical leaders (*returners)

Rushing: CoShik Williams* (486 yards)
Passing: Maxwell Smith* (819 yards)
Receiving: La'Rod King* (598 yards)
Tackles: Danny Trevathan (143)
Sacks: Trevathan (3)
Interceptions: Trevathan (4)

Spring answers

1. Finding more playmakers: Coach Joker Phillips feels like he has more firepower to work with on offense again. After struggling mightily to find consistent playmakers on offense in 2011, Phillips left spring with more confidence about players he felt he could rely on going forward. The biggest standout was receiver Demarco Robinson. He became one of the most consistent players at practice and caught nine passes for 146 yards and two touchdowns in the spring game. Also, freshman receiver Daryl Collins surprised coaches with his playmaking ability. Tight ends Ronnie Shields and Tyler Robinson also stepped up and should help take pressure off of Kentucky's running game.

2. Adjusting to Minter's defense: Strides were definitely made by Kentucky's defense in Year 1 with Rick Minter, but it looks like the defense felt even more comfortable in it this spring. While there is still work to do and bodies to replace, Minter has said he sees more aggression and attitude out of this unit. The defensive line also progressed this spring and could finally be the strength of this unit. The goal is for Kentucky's defense to be a much more physical and tougher group and both Minter and Phillips see it shifting that way.

3. Caffey's move: Kentucky entered the spring trying to replace two starters at cornerback, so the staff moved running back Marcus Caffey there. The experiment appeared to work, as Caffey was one of the more impressive looking players this spring. He caught on quickly at his new position and ended the spring as a starter. He's also a bigger body and the coaches say he's very durable. Both will come in handy against bigger receivers in this league.

Fall questions

1. Offensive line: Three starters up front had to be replaced this spring and the Wildcats ended practice knowing that the offensive line is still a work in progress. There is leadership and experience in Larry Warford and Matt Smith, but after that there's a lot of inexperience. Behind Warford and Smith, rising sophomore Darrian Miller and junior-to-be Kevin Mitchell combined for three starts last year. There were bright spots here and there this spring, but the inexperience up front is still a concern for coaches heading into the offseason.

2. Defensive holes: While the Wildcats got more comfortable in the defense, there are still a lot of missing starters at linebacker and in the secondary. There will be four new starting linebackers, including the Spur, and two new starting corners. The coaches feel good about Caffey at corner, but questions still remain at the other corner spot. Players must also replace the production created by Danny Trevathan, Winston Guy and Ridge Wilson, who was dismissed this spring. They accounted for 310 tackles, including 28.5 for loss. Alvin Dupree and Avery Williamson turned heads at linebacker, but Malcolm McDuffen and Miles Simpson struggled to fill in for Trevathan and Guy and could be pushed by incoming freshmen.

3. Smith as the guy: Outside of the spring game, Maxwell Smith had a pretty impressive spring in Lexington. He seemed to develop his game the way the coaches wanted and needed him too, but his mistakes in the spring game brought some worry. He rushed his play and reverted back to some bad habits. While he'd be the starter if the season started today, the coaches hinted that the race is still open with Morgan Newton coming back from shoulder surgery and incoming freshman Patrick Towles arriving this summer. Smith might have improved, but Newton and Towles will get every chance to win the starting job. If Smith regresses again, he might fail to win the job he thinks is his to lose.

Rick Minter's challenge upon taking over the Kentucky defense last season was clear.

His boss, Joker Phillips, wanted to see a more aggressive defense, a defense that created more turnovers and a defense that persevered.

"It’s our goal on defense is to be known as one of the nastier units, one of the more efficient units and it’s hard to prepare for us, and you've got to bring your hard hat every time you go against us on defense," Minter said.

Last season was just the start.

The Wildcats' final stats weren't great. They finished 10th in the league in both total defense and scoring defense. It took a while to adjust to Minter's new system, and there were some hiccups along the way, most notably the three-game stretch against Florida, LSU and South Carolina. Kentucky lost all three games and gave up a combined 137 points. The low point was the 54-3 drubbing at South Carolina.

"We played well against LSU," Minter said. "Some of the numbers don’t show it. And, yet, we laid a complete egg against South Carolina. We’ve got to become more consistent. No matter who we have out there, we have to play the game much more consistently. We like to say that championships are our goals. You want to have a winning season and go to bowl games, but your highest goal is to win the East and try to play for the national championship and try to fall in line with all the rest of these teams.

"To do that, you have to play great defense every week."

What was so encouraging for Phillips and Minter was the way the Wildcats finished the season and the promise that so many of the younger players showed.

In three of its last four games, Kentucky held opponents to 19 or fewer points, including a 30-13 win over Ole Miss and a 10-7 win over Tennessee. In the 19-10 loss to Georgia, the Wildcats held the Bulldogs to 317 total yards and then limited the Vols to 276 total yards the next week. In those last two games, Kentucky also forced seven turnovers.

"I like what I see in the young guys," Phillips said. "We got a chance to see a lot of them during the last part of last season, on defense especially, against Georgia and Tennessee. We had some injuries and were forced to play some of the young guys, and it was very encouraging how we played on defense. They were running around and making plays, a lot of true freshmen -- Bud Dupree, Eric Dixon, Ashely Lowery, Christian Coleman, all those young kids. We had them at every level --defensive line, safety, linebacker and corner."

It's time to take that next step in 2012, and the Wildcats will be without their two most productive players from a year ago -- Danny Trevathan and Winston Guy.

"We really proved to ourselves at the end of the season, one that we could compete with anybody in the conference, and two, our scheme works if we go out and play and execute it and play with emotion," Minter said. "I think we at least set a tone, got some foundations laid. Now, it’s all about what we do this year."

LEXINGTON, Ky. -- I spent part of Wednesday at Kentucky’s Nutter Training Center and had a chance to visit with coach Joker Phillips, both of the Wildcats’ coordinators, Randy Sanders and Rick Minter, as well as a handful of players.

Here’s some of what I came away with:

• Phillips really likes his past two recruiting classes, and said patience has been the key. “We do our homework, do it the right way and stay the course, and we’ve had some very good players fall to us,” Phillips said.


• Minter faces a tough task after coming in last season and putting a charge into the Wildcats’ defense. They created nine more turnovers than they had the year before, and ended the season playing their best football. But five of the top seven tacklers are gone, including stalwarts Danny Trevathan and Winston Guy, both of whom finished with 120 or more total tackles.
• Even though Kentucky’s losing six starters on defense, Minter has been impressed with the way some of the younger players have come on this spring. Sophomore Alvin “Bud” Dupree has a huge upside at the Wildcats’ hybrid linebacker/end position. He started the last three games a year ago. Sophomore Ashley Lowery would be a fit at the hybrid linebacker/safety spot (Guy’s old position), but the Wildcats need him at safety. Minter said sophomore Miles Simpson is currently holding down that spot and doing a good job. The entire staff is excited about Marcus Caffey’s development at cornerback. He came in as a heralded running back, redshirted last season, and told the coaches in December that he would like to play defense. Minter loves having Caffey’s physical approach at the cornerback position.
• The strength of Kentucky’s defense should be up front, where senior end Collins Ukwu, and junior tackles Donte Rumph and Mister Cobble all return. “Those three are SEC-type football players, particularly the big heavyweights in there. They can play with a lot of guys,” Minter said of the 315-pound Rumph and 331-pound Cobble. “And then we’re cultivating younger players who are beginning to fill out. Farrington Huguenin (a redshirt freshman defensive end) is really going to be a good football player. He just got here, but I’m really high on him. As he grows and develops in the weight room, you’re going to see a legitimate defensive end in the SEC. Christian Coleman is just getting started, and it’s going to take him another year or so. But all defenses are dominated up front, and we have an outside linebacker like Bud Dupree with a big upside. So we can put a front four out there that can compete with a lot of teams.”
• Sophomore quarterback Maxwell Smith has impressed his coaches and his teammates with the way he’s thrown the ball this spring. He still has to hold off senior Morgan Newton once preseason practice resumes, but it’s Smith’s job to lose at this point. Newton is still recovering from a shoulder injury and not participating through the spring.
• One of the things that plagued Kentucky last season was an inconsistent passing game, and it wasn’t all on the quarterback play. Senior receiver La’Rod King said he’s seen more playmakers emerge this spring, and is determined to be more of a leader. King has caught 12 touchdown passes over the past two seasons, including seven a year ago. “We’ve got to do it in every game, and can’t have those games where we don’t show up,” King said.
• Until Kentucky had its streak of bowl appearances stopped at five straight years last season, the Wildcats were one of only five teams in the SEC to go to at least five bowl games in a row. The other four teams in that group were Alabama, Florida, Georgia and LSU.

We’ll have more on the Wildcats in the coming days, so stay tuned to the SEC blog. They finish up spring practice this Saturday with their annual spring game.

We move to linebackers today in our postseason position rankings.

Defensive lines are very important in this league, but there are other guys in the box who have to be pretty reliable as well in this league. This league has done a pretty solid job of producing some top talent at this position as well.

You can see what are preseason linebacker rankings looked like here.

And here are our postseason rankings:

1. Alabama: This unit was at the top of our preseason rankings and didn't budge throughout the season. When you have two All-Americans in Courtney Upshaw, who was the defensive MVP in the Allstate BCS National Championship Game, and Dont'a Hightower it's pretty understandable to see why. Those two combined for 136 tackles, including 29 for loss. Nico Johnson was fourth on the team in tackles, while C.J. Mosley added 37 of his own. Alabama's defense was first nationally in total defense and first in rushing defense, allowing 74.2 yards per game.

2. Georgia: Linebackers are essential to any 3-4 defense, and the Bulldogs' group did quite well in 2011. Georgia ended up with one of the nation's best linebackers in Jarvis Jones, who led the SEC with 19 tackles for loss and 13.5 sacks. He also had 49 quarterback hurries. Michael Gilliard was third on the team behind Jones with 65 tackles. While Alec Ogletree missed part of the first half of the season, the speedster still finished with 52 tackles, including 7.5 for loss. Cornelius Washington, Amarlo Herrera Christian Robinson combined to add 101 more tackles, as Georgia's defense ranked fifth nationally.

3. Arkansas: Arkansas' defense had a lot of bend in it last season, but the linebackers found ways to make plays. Newcomer Alonzo Highsmith was third on the team with 80 tackles, led with 12.5 tackles for loss and had 4.5 sacks. The star continued to be Jerry Franklin, who led the team in tackles (101) for the fourth straight year. Then there was Jerico Nelson, who was all over the field as that hybrid linebacker/safety. He came away with 70 tackles, two sacks and two interceptions. Ross Rasner, who played outside with Nelson, added 53 more tackles and two sacks.

4. Florida: The Gators' defense ranked eighth nationally in part because of the aggressive play of its front seven. Jon Bostic commanded the middle, leading the team with 94 tackles, including 10 for loss. Jelani Jenkins seemed to come more into his own outside, finishing third on the team in tackles. The big surprise was Lerentee McCray, who played both Sam linebacker and the hybrid Buck. He was one of Florida's most active linebackers and grabbed 7.5 tackles for loss. Ronald Powell started at the Buck, but saw most of his production from defensive end.

5. Vanderbilt: The Commodores entered the season needing to replace three starting linebackers and ended the year with a very impressive linebacking corps. It was led by vet Chris Marve, who was 10th in the league in tackles. Archibald Barnes had a solid year at the Will, ranking fourth on the team in tackles and grabbing two interceptions. Chase Garnham and Al Owens manned the Sam position and combined for 72 tackles and 7.5 tackles for loss. Against conference foes, Vandy's rush defense ranked fourth in the league.

6. LSU: The Tigers were in search of that dominant middle linebacker all season and might have found a budding star in Kevin Minter, really grew into the position by the end of the season and was fifth on the team in tackles. He started 11 games, but shared time with Karnell Hatcher, who finished with 24 tackles. Ryan Baker was LSU's best linebacker, was an outstanding leader and was fourth on the team with 64 tackles. Stefoin Francois was the starter at Sam, but he accumulated just 11 tackles, while backup Tahj Jones registered 27. Still, LSU owned the No. 2 national defense.

7. South Carolina: The Gamecocks saw improvement from this group as the season went on. While the defensive line got a ton of credit, the linebackers did their part in securing the defense's No. 3 national ranking. Antonio Allen spent some time in the box at the Spur position and led South Carolina with 88 tackles and had 9.5 for loss. Rodney Paulk and Shaq Wilson, who returned from injury, rotated at the Mike and combined for 109 tackles. Will linebacker Reginald Bowens added 44 tackles.

8. Kentucky: The Wildcats owned the SEC's top tackler in Danny Trevathan (143), who should have received more national attention. Trevathan was one of the most active defenders around at the Will. Winston Guy played the hybrid linebacker/safety and was third in the SEC with 120 tackles. Ronnie Sneed added 71 more tackles. Kentucky's defense was much more aggressive under new defensive coordinator Rick Minter and got more exotic looks from its linebackers.

9. Mississippi State: Cameron Lawrence was a beast for the Bulldogs in 2011. He was second in the SEC with 123 tackles, and had 49 solo. Senior Brandon Wilson added 94 more tackles. Brandon Maye, who transferred from Clemson, was expected to make a bigger impact for the Bulldogs, but played behind Wilson and was 11th on the team in tackles. Sophomore Deontae Skinner added 69 tackles and Mississippi State ranked in the bottom half of the SEC in total defense.

10. Tennessee: The Vols' top three tacklers were linebackers. The leader was senior Austin Johnson, who finished the season with 81 tackles, including 41 solo. Next were two true freshmen on the outside in A.J. Johnson (80) and Curt Maggitt (56). Both freshmen experienced up-and-down seasons, but were SEC All-Freshman selections. Herman Lathers, who was a projected started, missed 2011 with a fractured ankle, and after the big three, the Vols didn't get a ton out of their linebackers, as Dontavis Sapp was their next most productive linebacker with 20 tackles.

11. Auburn: The Tigers' defense really struggled in 2011 and gave up more than 200 rushing yards a contest. Auburn had to basically start over at linebacker, but lone returning starter Daren Bates had a heck of a year, ranking fourth in the league with 104 tackles. He really tried to make sure he played all over the field last fall. After that, the play was up-and-down. Senior Eltoro Freeman took over in the middle halfway into the year and finished with 58 tackles, while Jake Holland and Jonathan Evans combined for 83 tackles.


12. Ole Miss: The Rebels' defense had all sorts of problems defensively, including allowing 256.5 yards per game and 21 rushing touchdowns. The linebackers took a major hit with the absence of D.T. Shackelford, who missed the season with a knee injury. Mike Marry stepped up at the Mike and led Ole Miss with 81 tackles and five for loss. Freshman Serderius Bryant and junior Joel Kight combined for 122 tackles. Damien Jackson played the Spur and added 64 tackles, but Ole Miss' defense ranked dead last in the SEC.

Summer school continues as we take a look at Kentucky:

OFFENSE: F

Kentucky entered the season down a handful of playmakers, and never had much offensive rhythm. The offense stalled from the start, as the Wildcats began the year with an ugly 14-3 win over Western Kentucky. The Wildcats mustered just 190 yards of offense and turned the ball over three times. Things didn't get much better after, as Kentucky lost four of its next five games, getting outscored 161-37 in those four losses. On the season, Kentucky was last in the SEC in scoring (15.8), total offense (259.8), passing (135.6) and passing efficiency (96.2). Kentucky scored 30-plus points just twice. Injuries along the offensive line and at running back didn't help. The Wildcats seemed to have a budding star on their hands in freshman running back Josh Clemons, but he went down midway through the year with a season-ending knee injury. CoShik Williams stepped in for Clemons and became the Wildcats' top offensive weapon, leading Kentucky with 486 rushing yards and had three touchdowns. But it all came back to the quarterback position. A few years removed from a solid freshman year, Morgan Newton took a few steps back in 2011. He entered the season as the Wildcats' starter, but after suffering a late-season ankle injury, he was passed by freshman Maxwell Smith, who earned All-SEC Freshman honors. Both combined for 1,612 yards, 12 touchdown passes and 11 interceptions.

DEFENSE: C

Under the watchful eye of new defensive coordinator Rick Minter, the Wildcats improved from the 2010 season. Kentucky was much more aggressive and entertaining on defense this season. The Wildcats had the SEC's top two tacklers in Danny Trevathan (143) and Winston Guy (120) and forced 25 turnovers. This is obviously still a work in progress, as the Wildcats gave up 24.7 points per game and 377 yards a contest. Against SEC offenses, the Wildcats' defense upped the points to 30.2 per game and allowed 413.8 yards a game. Kentucky allowed 35 points or more in half of its SEC games. The Wildcats' defense hit rock bottom in their 54-3 loss to South Carolina. Kentucky gave up 54 unanswered points, a season-high 639 yards of offense, including 288 rushing yards, and 32 first downs. Kentucky's defense played arguably its best at the end of the year. The Wildcats frustrated eventual SEC East champ Georgia, taking the ball away four times, before holding rival Tennessee to 276 yards and forced three turnovers in a 10-7 win that snapped a 26-year losing streak to the Vols.

SPECIAL TEAMS: C

Kentucky didn't return the ball well, but the Wildcats sure knew how to kick and cover returns. Kicker Craig McIntosh connected on 12 of 14 field goal attempts (.857), and Kentucky was fifth in the SEC in kickoff coverage, averaging 46 net yards on kickoffs. Kentucky also finished the season with 14 touchbacks. Punter Ryan Tydlacka was fourth in the league in punting, averaging 43.6 yards per punt. He also had 20 punts of 50-plus yards and had 19 of his punts downed inside opponents' 20-yard line. On their own returns, Kentucky was last in the SEC in punt returns, getting just 35 yards on 19 returns. The Wildcats were also 11th in kickoff returns, averaging 20.3 yards per return.

COACHING: D

Joker Phillips didn't come close to having the season he wanted after a successful first year as the man in charge in Lexington. The offense was inept for just about every part of the season. The defense was improved, but this team just wasn't very competitive throughout the year. Kentucky missed out on a sixth straight bowl appearance with its 5-7 record, but we saw some improvement at the end of the season. Considering the injuries this team endured, Kentucky didn't quit. The Wildcats went 2-2 in November and ended things with a monumental win over Tennessee. The win ended the 26-year slide against the Vols and it also eliminated them from the postseason. It wasn't a bowl win for Kentucky, but it was pretty close.

KENTUCKY

Record: 5-7, 2-6 SEC

The Wildcats entered the year down a handful of offensive playmakers and it certainly showed all season. Without the likes of Randall Cobb, Mike Hartline and Derrick Locke, Kentucky hovered around the bottom of the SEC in just about every offensive category for the entire season. Kentucky was last in scoring (15.8 points per game), total offense (259.8 yards) and passing (135.6 yards), and scored just 21 touchdowns all year.

Coach Joker Phillips prides himself on offense, which had to make this year that much more difficult. Morgan Newton had a solid freshman campaign, but as Kentucky’s starting quarterback in 2011, he regressed. Newton averaged less than 80 yards passing a game and threw eight touchdowns to seven interceptions. After Newton suffered an ankle injury late in the season, freshman Maxwell Smith eventually took over and performed better at times, but threw four touchdowns and four interceptions.

The Wildcats missed out on a sixth consecutive bowl trip and won just two conference games, but there was some satisfaction. The defense was much improved under new defensive coordinator Rick Minter and the Wildcats ended a 26-year losing streak to Tennessee on the season's final weekend — a victory that ended Tennessee’s bowl chances.

Offensive MVP: Running back CoShik Williams. He was one of the few bright spots for the Wildcats. Williams emerged after starter Josh Clemons went down with a season-ending knee injury and led Kentucky with 486 rushing yards and three touchdowns. His two 100-yard rushing games came in Kentucky’s only 30-point games.

Defense MVP: Linebacker Danny Trevathan. There might not be a more unheralded player in the SEC. For the second year in a row, Trevathan led the league in tackles. After registering 144 in 2010, Trevathan totaled 143 this season, added four interceptions and forced five fumbles.

Turning point: Kentucky’s offense got a facelift in a 38-14 victory over Jacksonville State on Oct. 22. It stopped a four-game losing streak, was the Wildcats’ first 30-point game and was the first of three wins in Kentucky’s last six games.

What’s next: Without a bowl to prep for, Kentucky’s coaches will be out on the road recruiting. Phillips should use this time to recruit the heck out of as many offensive players as he can. Kentucky was very limited in the playmaking department and that has to change going forward.

Before beginning his journey as a college athlete, Danny Trevathan's mother gave him three things to live by as he embarked on life as a Wildcat.

Trevathan’s mother told him to always keep God first, stay humble and no matter what he did, he had to make sure he did it better each time and better than those around him.

Those messages were delivered to Kentucky’s senior linebacker yet again after he received the harsh news via text from his parents that his name wasn’t on the list of 12 semifinalists for the Butkus Award, which is given annually to the nation’s top linebacker.

Trevathan, who leads the SEC with 111 tackles through nine games (he led the league with 144 last year), said there was a short moping period before he decided he could use this as fuel. Instead of throwing a pity party, he used the snub as motivation.

“It crushed me, to be honest, but it kind of made me get into the groove of things, grind it out a little more and push a little bit harder,” Trevathan said. “It made me want to prove to the world, prove to everybody, that I did deserve to be on it.

“I’m not a cocky person, but I think I deserved to be on the list at least. That’s every linebacker's dream, and not being on that list is just going to make me a better person and overall a better player.”

Trevathan isn’t arrogant by any means, but he certainly has the right to be upset by being overlooked.

Outside of his triple-digit total tackle number, he has seven tackles for loss, including two sacks, four interceptions, has defended seven passes, and has forced three fumbles. In conference games, Trevathan averages 13.6 tackles per game and recorded 17 last week against Ole Miss.

In new defensive coordinator Rick Minter’s multiple defense, he is perfect for the Will linebacker position, but has the versatility to play at each of the linebacker spots.

With Trevathan’s vision, intelligence, speed, power and awareness, Minter said it was a no-brainer to have him quarterback the defense. Despite multiple sets taking form in the 4-2-5, 3-4 and 4-3 at times, learning every aspect of this defense is nothing short of complicated, but Trevathan has it down and has it down well.

For a player who entered the season with a sparkling résumé, Minter said it would have been easy for Trevathan to challenge new teaching and go his own way.

But he came right out during his first day with a new system ready to learn and improve. Now, finding things to improve in Trevathan’s game was and remains hard for Minter, but he sees a much better leader now than he did prior to the season starting.

“He’s an outstanding football player, to say the least,” Minter said.

“He’s a team guy all the way.”

Trevathan responded to his new coaching well and it’s paying off. While he might not be getting the respect he deserves nationally, he’s been a terror in the SEC this season. He’s the backside linebacker used to constantly disrupt running games. He primarily stays in the box, but has the speed to branch out if needed, and if he does, good things usually occur.

And he’s done it despite the sluggish season for the Wildcats.

Trevathan said it’s been a rough year, but he can see things turning around with a win over Vanderbilt Saturday, putting the Wildcats a win away from being bowl eligible. The season started poorly, but this team is starting to “get into the groove of things,” Trevathan said.

“All good people, all great people have to go through something tough to get better,” he said. “This year showed us that if we don’t play our game, we’re going to lose. Guys really know how hard it is and know they have to really work now. Guys have been through that now, so we know how hard it is to get to the top and we want to take it to the next level.”

Speaking of the next level, Trevathan should find himself there soon. With his ability and his college career, there is no doubt in Minter’s mind that he’ll see Trevathan playing on Sundays next year and beyond.

Minter’s coaching experience dates back to the late 1970s, and he’s seen his fair share of good defenders, but Trevathan will go down as one of the greats and he doesn't need the Butkus Award to reinforce that.

“This is not the first good linebacker that I’ve seen,” he said, “but he is as complete a linebacker as I’ve ever had the privilege to be around and coach.”

A little bit of this and a little bit of that as we look ahead to Week 4 in the SEC:

• Arkansas carries the SEC’s No. 1 scoring offense into Saturday’s game against Alabama and the SEC’s No. 1 scoring defense. In the past 10 meetings between the SEC’s No. 1 scoring offense and the SEC’s No. 1 scoring defense, the team with the No. 1 scoring offense has won eight times.
• Dating back to 2006, Arkansas has played four true road games against teams ranked in the AP top 5. The Razorbacks have won two of those contests (Auburn in 2006 and LSU in 2007) and nearly knocked off No. 1 Florida on the road in 2009 before losing 23-20.
• Arkansas quarterback Tyler Wilson has completed 50 percent of his throws of 20 yards or longer in each of the past two seasons, including two touchdown passes against Auburn last season. In that game against Auburn, Wilson completed three of his first four throws of 20-plus yards for 125 yards and two touchdowns, but in the fourth quarter he was 0-3 with an interception on the same throws.
• Three of Alabama’s five losses since 2008 have come to teams that led their conference in scoring offense at the time of the game -- Auburn in 2010, Utah in the 2009 Sugar Bowl and Florida in 2008.
• Alabama is 22-1 in its past 23 games at Bryant-Denny Stadium with that lone loss coming last season to Auburn. In those games, the Crimson Tide have averaged 415.7 yards per game on offense and given up an average of 224.1 yards per game on defense. In that span, the Tide have averaged 33.4 points per game and given up an average of 8.1 points per game.
• Opponents are completing just 38.5 percent of their passes against Alabama, which leads the nation.
• Since the start of the 2008 season, Alabama is 15-5 against teams ranked in the AP poll, including a 5-1 mark at home.
• Alabama has allowed 143 plays of 10 yards or longer since the start of the 2010 season. Only TCU has allowed fewer among FBS schools.
• LSU puts its 35-game regular-season nonconference winning streak on the line Saturday when it travels to No. 16-ranked West Virginia. With a win, the Tigers would tie Miami from 1985-88 for the second-longest such winning streak in the FBS era (since 1978) and be just three wins shy of tying Kansas State from 1993-2003 for the longest streak (39). It would mark the sixth ranked team they defeated during the streak. Kansas State defeated just one ranked team during its run, and Miami defeated 12 teams ranked in the AP poll during its streak.
• LSU’s defense has only allowed two completions on throws of 15 yards or longer this season, while West Virginia’s offense has 14 such completions, including five touchdowns.
• Florida offensive coordinator Charlie Weis and Kentucky defensive coordinator Rick Minter will be matched against each other on Saturday. They were once colleagues at Notre Dame. Minter was Weis’ defensive coordinator during Weis’ first two seasons as Notre Dame’s head coach. But after a 41-14 loss to LSU in the Sugar Bowl following the 2006 season, Weis fired Minter and replaced him with Corwin Brown.
• Through three games, Georgia quarterback Aaron Murray has thrown touchdowns to six different receivers. Junior Tavarres King has three, freshman Malcolm Mitchell and junior Orson Charles have two each, while junior Rantavious Wooten and freshmen Isaiah Crowell and Michael Bennett have one each.
• Kentucky linebacker Danny Trevathan has posted double-digit tackles in 12 consecutive games dating back to last season. The SEC’s leading tackler (38) ranks fourth nationally in tackles per game (12.67).
• Vanderbilt is the only team in America that has surpassed its 2010 win total through the first three games of 2011. In fact, the Commodores’ 3-0 record also surpasses the win total from the 2009 season.
• James Franklin is the first Vanderbilt coach to win his first three games since E.H. Alley in 1943.
• South Carolina sophomore running back Marcus Lattimore, who leads the country in rushing with 534 yards, has already carried the ball 87 times in three games. He carried it 249 times last season in 12 games. The SEC record for most carries in a season is 385 by Herschel Walker in 1981.
• Mississippi State, which faces Louisiana Tech on Saturday has not lost to an unranked team since Dan Mullen’s first season of 2009, and all three losses to unranked squads that season were to opponents receiving votes in the week the game was played.

We're making the rounds in the SEC before another big weekend on the football field.

• Mississippi State backup linebacker Chris Hughes was arrested on Aug. 31 and charged with two counts of misdemeanor domestic violence in his hometown of Mobile.
• Victims and witnesses testify in the case involving LSU players. Jordan Jefferson is expected to testify in his defense next week.
• Vanderbilt backup quarterback Jordan Rogers feels more confident in the offense after his recent playing time and is ready to see the field more if called upon.
• Conference realignment could hurt prominent SEC rivalries.
• Defensive tackle Angelo Blackson and cornerback Jermaine Whitehead are looking for more snaps on Auburn's defense.
• Derek Dooley says Tennessee's offensive line can and will play better from here on out.
• Continuity has South Carolina's offensive line playing well this season.
• For Ole Miss, the defense needs much more help from the offense.
• Kentucky's Rick Minter and Florida's Charlie Weis both say that history won't factor into Saturday's game between Florida and Kentucky.
• Georgia's defense has been applying pressure on opposing quarterbacks, but the Dawgs need more production in the sack department.
• Florida defensive tackle Dominique Easley is "dancing" his way to a good start to his second season.
• Arkansas' wide receivers are very confident heading into their matchup with Alabama's defensive backs.
• Alabama's wide receivers feel like they're a cohesive unit heading into the Arkansas game.

One of the most promising young players in the SEC this season is Kentucky true freshman running back Josh Clemons.

He's also the best thing the Wildcats have going right now offensively.

Clemons ripped off an 87-yard touchdown run in the third quarter to break a 13-13 tie, and the Wildcats have now pulled away late in the fourth quarter and lead Central Michigan 27-13.

He has the kind of power and speed to be a special player, and Kentucky coach Joker Phillips said this week that Clemons' role was only going to grow in the offense.

Judging from what I've seen to this point, he's a guy that probably needs to carry the ball 15 to 20 times a game.

There's still a lot of kinks to work out in the Wildcats' offense, but Rick Minter's defense is holding up its end of the bargain.

Central Michigan has been able to move the ball. But through seven quarters this season, Kentucky has allowed just one touchdown. The Wildcats' fourth-down stop in the third quarter was huge and completely changed the complexion of this game.

It's just that kind of game-turning play defensively that Phillips was envisioning when he made the decision to bring in Minter as his defensive coordinator following last season.

We have one week in the bag and it looks like the new guy is on top.

Yes, it was a week littered with cupcakes, but like every coach in America says, "A win is a win."

After the first week of games, I sit at 11-1 (.917), while fellow SEC blogger Chris Low is 10-2 (.833). Chris and I both missed on Ole Miss and Chris went with Georgia. I tried to tell him, but he just wouldn't listen.

And while I'm gloating, how about my almost dead-on picks? I had Mississippi State beating Memphis 52-14 and the score was 59-14. I had Tennessee beating Montana 44-13 and the Vols won 42-16. And I had Alabama topping Kent State 56-7 and the Tide won 48-7.

I know, the kid is good.

Oh, and Chris, remember that Nick Saban likes his bad questions loud and right after some player has ticked him off.

We finally start the conference season with South Carolina visiting Georgia and Auburn hosting Mississippi State, so things are getting even more interesting.

On to the picks:

Edward Aschoff: This weekend is all about tuning up that passing game. Jarrett Lee passed for less than 100 yards, but was efficient in the win over Oregon. Look for him to reach triple digits before halftime. ... LSU 48, Northwestern State 3

Chris Low: The Tigers deserve at least one glorified scrimmage in the month of September, although the real trick might be getting their starters out of the game by halftime with next Thursday’s trip to Mississippi State looming. … LSU 42, Northwestern State 0

Edward Aschoff: Tyler Wilson was good, but not great in his starting debut last week. The Razorbacks didn't need him to be great, but he should improve this week and spread the ball around even more. ... Arkansas 44, New Mexico 7

Chris Low: The Hogs put a couple of special teams touchdowns on the board last week in the opener thanks to Joe Adams’ punt return prowess. Don’t be surprised if the defense gets into the act this Saturday in a second straight rout for the Hogs. … Arkansas 48, New Mexico 10

Edward Aschoff: Ole Miss' offense sputtered through the opener, while the defense looked much sharper than it did last year. It even scored a touchdown, while the offense didn't. The Rebels could use all three quarterbacks, but should win comfortably Saturday. ... Ole Miss 31, Southern Illinois 10

Chris Low: It’s hard to find much wrong with Ole Miss’ defensive performance in the opener, but the Rebels have to get a lot better on offense and will be without top running back Brandon Bolden for the next few weeks. … Ole Miss 35, Southern Illinois 7

Edward Aschoff: Kentucky's offense was mostly nonexistent until that very late game-winning drive, but the defense took a step forward. The Wildcats' offense needs to find playmakers and this week would be a good start. ... Kentucky 27, Central Michigan 14

Chris Low: It looks like Rick Minter has the Wildcats’ defense playing with an edge. Now, it’s on quarterback Morgan Newton, his receiver sand that offensive line to get it going. True freshman running back Josh Clemons looks like a keeper. … Kentucky 27, Central Michigan 13

Edward Aschoff: Vanderbilt's offense will get a nice test with UCONN's aggressive defense coming to town. This is a chance for Larry Smith to show that he can lead Vandy in the big game, but will it be enough? ... UCONN 23, Vanderbilt 21

Chris Low: Remember what happened the last time the Commodores started out 2-0? They had their first winning season in 26 years and won their first bowl game in 53 years. Here’s a great chance at home to get off to a similar start as the 2008 season. … Vanderbilt 24, Connecticut 20

Edward Aschoff: This is the kind of a game I love: an all-out southern shootout! Tennessee's passing game looked solid last week, but this will be a major test for the Vols' young defense. First one to 35 wins! ... Tennessee 41, Cincinnati 35

Chris Low: If you like offense, this one has a chance to be a dandy. Both teams can score quickly and from long distance. The home field will be enough for the Vols to survive along with three more Tyler Bray touchdown passes. … Tennessee 35, Cincinnati 31

Edward Aschoff: Chris Rainey said the Gators ran just six different plays on offense last week. I predict at least three new ones as Florida prepares for Tennessee. I also expect the offense click even more this week. ... Florida 45, UAB 7

Chris Low: The Gators historically don’t break much of a sweat in their first two games as they warm up for the SEC opener. They cruised last week in Will Muschamp’s debut and shouldn’t have much trouble in Week 2, either. You’ve got to be impressed with that front seven on defense. … Florida 37, UAB 7

Edward Aschoff: I'm going to put the over/under on how many times we hear the name Cam Newton during the broadcast at 10. I will also put the number of cowbells confiscated at the gates at 20, which is probably low. Oh, and Mississippi State's offensive players must be salivating at the chance to play Auburn's defense. ... Mississippi State 34, Auburn 23

Chris Low: We’ll dub this the Cecil Newton Bowl. Something says Mississippi State won’t be warmly greeted on the Plains, but the Bulldogs look ready to take that next step and become a legitimate contender in the West this season. That starts with winning on the road. … Mississippi State 31, Auburn 24

Edward Aschoff: Penn State is older and deeper this season, but so is Alabama, and that's going to be an issue. Alabama is taking two young quarterbacks on the road, but the defense should keep Penn State from giving the Tide a scare. ... Alabama 27, Penn State 13

Chris Low: Penn State couldn’t generate enough offense to have a chance last season against Alabama. Playing at Beaver Stadium will level the playing field a bit for the Nittany Lions, but not enough to take down the Crimson Tide. … Alabama 28, Penn State 13

Edward Aschoff: Mark Richt says he doesn't feel pressure. Aaron Murray says there is no pressure. But this game will go a long way to determining the SEC East champ and the Bulldogs came away from Week 1 with more questions than before. South Carolina's defense looked far from great last week, but the offense was actually in good hands with Stephen Garcia. ... South Carolina 31, Georgia 24

Chris Low: Regardless of what anybody in Athens says, this is one of those win-or-else games for Georgia. The Bulldogs will play with emotion and play with intensity. They just won’t be able to stop Marcus Lattimore when it counts. … South Carolina 28, Georgia 23

If there's one area where Kentucky coach Joker Phillips knows his team must master during Thursday's season-opener against Western Kentucky, it's the rushing defense.

Last season, the Wildcats surrendered 184 yards on the ground and two touchdowns to Western Kentucky running back Bobby Rainey. Though Kentucky came away with a near 40-point win over the Hilltoppers, seeing Rainey run all over his defense is not something Phillips would like to see again.

"I'm not sure exactly what the team did. I mean, you cannot allow a team to rush for that many yards on you," Phillips said. "Rushing yards demoralize you. You've got to stop the run. When people are able to line up and run the ball on you, it's a slap in the face. Last year was a slap in the face the way they ran the ball on us."

On the season, Kentucky's rush defense didn't fair much better. The Wildcats ranked 11th in the SEC, giving up 177.1 yards per game and allowed a league-high 30 rushing touchdowns.

"We've got to stop the run," Phillips said. "To stop the run, sometimes you have to commit to getting enough people in the box to stopping the run, which sometimes hangs guys in the secondary out to dry. Those guys have got to compete like the dickens outside because we've got to try to commit extra people to the line of scrimmage."

Phillips is hoping the new defensive looks, brought in by new defensive coordinator Rick Minter, will help improve a struggling run defense. The multiple schemes and different blitzing packages have players pretty excited, and the hope is that this unit is more aggressive, especially up front.

What will also help is getting their big guys to be more consistent. There isn't a lot of experience on Kentucky's defensive line, but the coaches see potential. Two players who need to shed the underachiever label are interior linemen Donte Rumph and Mister Cobble.

Both were expected to be major contributors and both have yet to make their presences really known to opposing teams.

Phillips complimented Rumph's play in the last few days, and reiterated that in order for Kentucky to disrupt backfields, Rumph and Cobble, who combine to weigh almost 660 pounds, will need to make much bigger impacts up front.

"For us to stop the run, you have to have some big guys inside," he said. "These guys like to go to extra offensive linemen in their run game, extra tight ends. You'll see six offensive linemen, you'll see three tight ends at times. They want to run the ball. They do a really good job of it.

"We'll have some different packages. We'll try to match big versus big. Donte is a huge key to that. He and Mister Cobble are a big key to that."

We get some Thursday night football in Week 1. Here's a quick primer, as we kick off the 2011 season in the SEC:

THURSDAY

• No. 20 Mississippi State at Memphis, 8:10 p.m. ET, SportsSouth

The Bulldogs begin their quest to become the first team in school history to win nine or more games in back-to-back seasons.

• Kentucky vs. Western Kentucky (in Nashville, Tenn.), 9:15 p.m. ET, ESPNU

Rick Minter's new high-octane defense, geared toward forcing more turnovers, debuts in the Music City.

SATURDAY

• Utah State at No. 23 Auburn, noon ET, ESPN2

Only six starters from last season's national championship team return for the Tigers, who may play 12 to 15 true freshmen in the opener.

• Kent State at No. 2 Alabama, 12:15 p.m. ET, SEC Network

Neither of Alabama's quarterbacks, AJ McCarron or Phillip Sims, has ever started a college game.

• BYU at Ole Miss, 4:45 p.m. ET, ESPN

Something says the Rebels will be a tad more ready to play than they were in last season's opener against Jacksonville State.

• Montana at Tennessee, 6 p.m. ET, Pay-per-view

The Vols' projected starting lineup for the opener includes 14 freshmen and sophomores.

• East Carolina vs. No. 12 South Carolina (in Charlotte, N.C.), 7 p.m. ET, Fox Sports Net

The Gamecocks plan to play both Stephen Garcia and Connor Shaw at quarterback against the Pirates.

• Missouri State at No. 15 Arkansas, 7 p.m. ET, Pay-per-view

This should be Bobby Petrino's best team and his deepest team in his four seasons at Arkansas.

• Florida Atlantic at No. 22 Florida, 7 p.m. ET, ESPNU

Will Muschamp used to attend Florida games as a kid. On Saturday, he'll be making his head coaching debut as the Head Gator.

• Elon at Vanderbilt, 7:30 p.m. ET, CSS

James Franklin is the Commodores' third head coach in as many years. He takes over a program that has had just one winning season in the past 28 years.

• No. 5 Boise State vs. No. 19 Georgia (in Atlanta), 8 p.m. ET, ESPN

As season openers go, Mark Richt hasn't faced a more important one since arriving in Athens in 2001.

• No. 4 LSU vs. No. 3 Oregon (in Arlington, Texas), 8 p.m. ET, ABC

The Tigers have to be relieved just to get to the opener after going through what they did last week with quarterback Jordan Jefferson's arrest.

Here's a quick recap of some of the scrimmages around the league this past weekend:

Alabama: Coach Nick Saban declined to hand out any statistics on the quarterbacks from Alabama's scrimmage on Saturday, further clouding who's ahead in the race between AJ McCarron and Phillip Sims. Saban said scrimmage stats can be misleading. It sure sounds like senior receiver Marquis Maze is having a big preseason. He caught five passes for 123 yards and three touchdowns. It also doesn't sound like Saban was overly impressed with the running game on Saturday. The Crimson Tide are still working different combinations up front. True freshman Cyrus Kouandjio is getting a look at left tackle. Here's a little more information on the scrimmage from Alabama's official web site.

Auburn: Coming out of Saturday's scrimmage, Auburn coach Gene Chizik said the quarterbacks did some "nice things," but said there was still not enough separation to name a starter. The longer this goes, the more it sounds like true freshman Kiehl Frazier is going to be a real factor for the Tigers this season at quarterback. Chizik said several jobs remain wide open, and defensive coordinator Ted Roof was able to get a look at a ton of young players. Running back Mike Dyer and offensive tackle A.J. Greene were held out of the closed scrimmage with undisclosed injuries. Here's a video courtesy of Andy Bitter of The Columbus (Ga.) Ledger-Enquirer with the three quarterbacks talking about the competition.

Kentucky: Coach Joker Phillips said the first-team defense probably had the upper hand in the Wildcats' first scrimmage of the preseason on Saturday, but first-year defensive coordinator Rick Minter was lamenting the fact that the defense didn't create any turnovers. That's been an emphasis in Minter's new scheme. Kentucky was missing three starting offensive linemen (left tackle Chandler Burden, left guard Stuart Hines and center Matt Smith) because of injuries. Phillips noted that he thought junior quarterback Morgan Newton threw the ball well and took a step forward.

LSU: Coach Les Miles was pleased with some of the big plays in the Tigers' passing game from Saturday's scrimmage and singled out Russell Shepard, but Miles also said the Tigers weren't ready yet to play a game. Miles said Jordan Jefferson and Jarrett Lee both had big days throwing the ball. Shepard had the longest scoring play of the day. The Tigers are banged up right now on the offensive line. Josh Dworaczyk, Chris Faulk, Will Blackwell, Evan Washington and La'El Collins have all been injured. One of the best battles on defense is for the middle linebacker spot between Kevin Minter and Karnell Hatcher, who's moving over from safety. Here's a link to The Baton Rouge Advocate's story from the closed scrimmage.

Mississippi State: The Bulldogs scrimmaged last Friday, and coach Dan Mullen said he would give that round to the offense. Mullen said senior quarterback Chris Relf was sharp at times, but added that all of the quarterbacks had their sloppy moments. One of the real positives for the Bulldogs is that it looks like tight end Marcus Green will be healthy to start the season after tearing his ACL a year ago.

Ole Miss: The Rebels went through their first full-scale scrimmage of the preseason on Saturday and are still unsure who their starting quarterback will be to open the season. None of the three quarterbacks was able to consistently move the offense, and there was very little rhythm in the passing game. Barry Brunetti and Randall Mackey both made a few plays running the ball, but offensive coordinator David Lee said there has to be more consistency throwing the ball. Coach Houston Nutt said defensive ends Kentrell Lockett and Wayne Dorsey were hard to miss on the defensive side, and Nutt also said freshman linebacker C.J. Johnson played with consistency.

South Carolina: Coach Steve Spurrier wasn't in the bragging mood after the Gamecocks' first scrimmage of the preseason Saturday and said they looked like the seventh best offense in the league and the seventh best defense. That may be, but there were still some positive signs. It looks like Bruce Ellington, the point guard on the basketball team, is going to be a playmaker for the Gamecocks. He got some snaps at quarterback in the Wildcat formation and made some things happen. Spurrier was very impressed with sophomore quarterback Connor Shaw's outing. Shaw was 9-of-11 for 142 yards and two touchdowns. Stephen Garcia is still the starter, but Shaw is pushing hard. Also, freshman defensive end Jadeveon Clowney made his presence felt with a pair of sacks. South Carolina's official web site has a complete report on the scrimmage, including video interviews with several players.

Tennessee: Coming out of the Vols' second scrimmage of the preseason on Saturday, coach Derek Dooley felt much better about the way sophomore quarterback Tyler Bray ran the offense as opposed to the first scrimmage. Dooley said Bray was in command and managed the offense well, although Dooley would still like to see the Vols hit more big plays down the field when they have opportunities. Kicking field goals has been a problem for Tennessee the past few seasons, but Michael Palardy was 4-for-4, including a 52-yarder. On defense, true freshman linebackers A.J. Johnson and Curt Maggitt are pushing hard for starting spots. Maggitt has drawn rave reviews from the Vols' coaching staff. Here's a rundown from the scrimmage thanks to Tennessee's official web site.

Vanderbilt: Freshman running backs Jerron Seymour and Mitchell Hester both caught their head coach's eye in Saturday's scrimmage. James Franklin said the 5-foot-7 Seymour has been tough for anybody to tackle all preseason and is always gaining extra yardage. Senior quarterback Larry Smith was 10-of-25 for 152 yards and two touchdowns. One of those touchdowns was to Jordan Matthews, who made a leaping 40-yard grab over two defenders. The Commodores need Matthews to be that big-play threat for them this season, something they haven't had the past two seasons at the receiver position.

HOOVER, Ala. -- When it comes to sheer productivity, no defender in the SEC last season was better than Kentucky linebacker Danny Trevathan.

He led the league with 144 total tackles and was third with 16 tackles for loss.

Still, he knew down deep that something was missing, and he was reminded about that something often by his coach, Joker Phillips.

As prolific as Trevathan was on the field, he wasn't necessarily the kind of player that elevated the play of his teammates. He just sort of did his thing, racked up his 11-plus tackles per game in SEC contests and stayed out of everybody else's business.

"I've got to be more of a leader, at least more of a vocal leader," Trevathan said. "I've always tried to lead by example, but that's not going to be enough anymore. We lost a lot of strong leaders. I've got to take on that role.

"In the past, it wasn't my thing to call guys out or get in their face. But I have to bring them along with me this season. That's going to be as important as making a lot of tackles."

Trevathan knows he can't do it alone. Plus, with the Wildcats shifting to a new scheme under first-year defensive coordinator Rick Minter, Trevathan knows there are going to be a lot of players looking for direction.

"The best players make it their business to know everybody else's job," Trevathan said. "I'm going to be there for every single player on our defense this season.

"It doesn't matter how many tackles I get if the whole defense isn't playing up to that level. I'm putting it on myself to get us to that level this year."